CSIRO scientist warns against lifting Murray-Darling cap

A CSIRO scientist says a New South Wales proposal to review the limit on water use in the Murray-Darling Basin is a dangerous perversion of the political process.

The New South Wales Coalition's water policy, which seeks a possible lifting of the cap to allow more diversions for irrigation, has the tacit support of the Federal Agriculture Minister, Mark Vaille.

But it has sparked outrage from the South Australian and New South Wales Governments.

Professor Wayne Meyer, of the CSIRO's land and water section, says the proposal is foolish, placing commercial and political interests above those of the environment.

"The political process to some extent is being used to try and override the biological reality," Professor Meyer said.

"And the biological reality is that water resources are limited and that we really need to be managing those within their capcity, not trying, through the political process, to deny that there are biological limits."